Pandora's Box
by silver-etoile
Summary: Alone but together, Harry and Draco have the perfect relationship. Nothing can break it apart, or can it? HD SLASH, warning: character death.
1. Pandora's Box

**Disclaimer**: I solemnly swear that I do not own Harry Potter and/or any other characters used in this fic. They are all property of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Some of you asked for another one and I am so obliged to give it to you!

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The large oak front door swung open, blowing wildly in the fierce wind. A man with messy black hair slipped in quickly and shut the door to keep out the elements. The bitter wind whipped through it, closely followed by flurries of white snow. The man shut it quickly and moved to take off his coat.

Harry hung it up on the rack by the door and looked around the large living room. It was comfortably furnished and in the fireplace was a crackling fire. He smiled slightly to himself as he watched the flames dancing merrily.

Through the window, snow could be seen whipping through the air, swirling around the large trees that surrounded the house. Harry had picked the house because of its location. It was set out in the country, and yet not too far away that he couldn't see people when he wanted.

On the back side of the house it was surrounded by trees which made a gorgeous picture in the winter time. In the front was a rolling hill looking over a small village. At this time of year Harry loved to take walks in the snow simply to enjoy the beauty that surrounded him.

Harry walked into the living room, his eyes taking in the familiar sites, the television, phone, computer. He had many muggle things in his house for a very good reason. The war had ended just over two years ago, and when it had, Harry had made the decision to live without magic.

He found that life was much easier without it. By not using it, he was almost completely unable to find save by those who knew him. He no longer received the hordes of mail as he'd used to in school.

After the war, he'd disappeared for several months. There had been much speculation on his death, but Harry had been watching the papers from afar and laughing to himself. He'd taken some time to figure out what he wanted. When he had finally decided, he had returned to the wizarding world, only to announce to his friends that he would not be coming back very often.

He had decided to retire from the world he had come to know. He had seen what magic could do and some if it was very disturbing. After so many deaths, Harry decided he didn't want any more part of it. He would not use magic unless at the utmost need.

Now Harry stood in the middle of the living room. He was looking around as if he had lost something. He stopped, appearing puzzled.

"I'm home!" he called. He stood for a moment, waiting for a response.

"So?" came the drawling response from a door to Harry's left. The door swung open and out emerged a smirking blond. Harry smiled at Draco and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I would think my boyfriend would be happy to see me," Harry said, smiling. Draco looked as though he was contemplating Harry's words. Finally, he pushed himself off the door frame and walked over to Harry. He slid his arms around Harry's neck and looked up at him, Harry being slightly taller.

"Yeah, you would think," Draco replied, smirking. Harry couldn't help but smile as he leaned down to kiss the blond.

Draco eagerly received the offered kiss. Harry's arms slid around his waist, pulling him closer. Harry ran his tongue over Draco's lower lip, begging entrance his hot mouth. He was immediately granted it and thrust his tongue into the warm caverns of Draco's mouth.

Draco groaned appreciatively as Harry's hands slid under the light tee shirt he was wearing. His own hand made its way into Harry's wild hair. Finally, Draco pulled away panting. He kissed the side of Harry's mouth then backed away.

"Later," he promised. Harry smirked and nodded. Draco sat down on the couch and Harry next to him. He snuggled into Harry's side, watching the flickering flames in the fireplace.

"What did you do today?" Draco asked, leaning into Harry. Harry stroked Draco's silver blond hair absentmindedly as he watched the snow drifting past the window.

"Not much," he replied. In truth he hardly ever did anything anymore. He didn't need to work because of his inheritance, so he spent most of his time wandering around watching people.

People Watching was one of his favorite hobbies. He would disguise himself the muggle way and walk through the streets of different towns.

He found it extremely gratifying to walk through a town and not be recognized as Harry Potter. He could do anything he wanted and not have a camera shoved in his face.

Harry looked down at Draco, who appeared to have fallen asleep in his lap. He smiled at Draco's angelic face, knowing he was nowhere near that in real life.

They had gotten together after the war. Draco had turned spy for the order. Of course, Harry had detested him all the way through the war, never trusting him. It had taken him a long time to get over his involvement in Dumbledore's death.

It had been unexpected, but at the celebration after the demise of Voldemort, Harry had drunk a bit too much, as had Draco. Somehow, they found themselves together in an empty room tearing off each others clothes.

They had awoken the next morning with splitting headaches and hangovers. Harry had freaked out upon finding himself in bed with Draco. Draco didn't seem perturbed. He was later persuaded to tell Harry that he had fancied him for a long time.

They had moved in together about a year before. Everything was going very well for them at the moment.

Harry pushed a piece of Draco's hair from his eyes. He leaned down close to him and breathed in his scent.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing his neck softly.

"Mmm, love you too," Draco murmured. Harry looked taken aback.

"I thought you were sleeping," he said indignantly.

"Please, Harry," Draco scoffed, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "Malfoy's do not sleep on couches."

"Of course," Harry agreed, grinning at him and starting to laugh.

"Don't laugh at me," Draco said indignantly. Harry couldn't stop and was soon doubled up in laughter while Draco glared at him.

He finally straitened up and found Draco looking fairly angry. He grinned at him and leaned in close to his face, their lips almost touching.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered against his lips. "Do you forgive me?"

He looked directly into Draco's silver blue eyes. Draco raised a skeptical eyebrow and his mouth quirked into a smirk.

"Maybe… that depends," he replied. Harry moved his body even closer, just inches from him.

"On what?" Harry whispered. His bright green eyes sparkled as he watched Draco's breathing increase.

"On what you'll do for me," Draco responded in barely more than a whisper.

"I'd do anything for you," Harry replied, quite serious. Draco smiled slightly and pressed his lips against Harry's.

Harry took control of the kiss quickly. He swiped his tongue across Draco's lower lip, then, when the mouth was readily opened, tasted all that was Draco. Draco moaned as Harry's kiss became more passionate.

Harry lowered Draco down on the couch, crawling on top of him. Draco whimpered as Harry settled his weight in between his legs, his erection nestled into Draco's own. Draco thrust his hips upward, seeking more contact.

Harry broke the kiss to whisper in Draco's ear.

"Relax, baby."

Draco whined as Harry moved his kisses to his neck. Harry sucked on the pale flesh of his neck, licking and nipping as he went.

His breathing was labored as Harry stopped his progress down his neck. He slid his hands under Draco's tee shirt, enjoying the way he gasped when his fingers ghosted over his hard nipples.

He stripped off the shirt and threw it on the floor. Draco practically ripped Harry's shirt off, tossing it to the side. He pulled Harry back into a hot kiss. Draco arched his body into Harry's, desperately needing more friction.

"Please, Harry," Draco begged. Harry ignored his pleas and continued moving down his body. He nipped at Draco's skin, concentrating momentarily on his erect nipples. Draco groaned when Harry bit down lightly on one.

Harry now came to Draco's jeans. He carefully and agonizingly removed them, torturing Draco. Draco watched him through lust filled eyes. Harry smiled up at him before finally removing the garment completely.

He quickly removed his own, loving the way Draco's eyes were glued to his body the entire time. Once they were gone, he crawled up Draco's body and kissed him slowly, softly, lovingly.

Draco's hands were on Harry's upper bodies, running over the Quidditch toned muscles he had acquired during school. Harry groaned at Draco's touch and kissed him again, this time pouring more passion into it.

They broke the kiss panting. Harry reached over to a side table by the couch and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a bottle of lube they always kept nearby, for cases such as these.

He applied liberal amounts to his now throbbing cock. He inserted a finger first into Draco, then a second. Draco's breath caught on the insertion of the second finger. Harry scissored them slightly, preparing him.

When he was convinced he was ready, he removed his fingers with his cock. Draco gasped when Harry pushed in. He gripped onto Harry's arms tightly, taking in the pain and pleasure.

Once Harry was completely sheathed within Draco, he began to move slowly. He thrust into his body with building momentum. Draco's body moved with his in a steady rhythm. Harry leaned forward into Draco.

Draco cried out when Harry hit his prostate. Sweat was running off both of them as Harry thrust in faster. Draco pushed his body up to meet him.

"Oh, god, Harry!" Draco screamed as Harry moved faster and harder. He was nearing his climax already.

Harry kissed Draco's neck as he pushed in harder. His breathing was shallow and labored as he climbed to the peak. He felt himself losing it as he came hard.

Tiny white stars danced before his eyes as he was propelled off the cliff into oblivion. Shoots of pleasure shot through his entire body. He nearly collapsed on Draco, but managed to hold himself up.

It only lasted for a second though. Draco was panting from his own release and pulled Harry down on top of him.

"I love you," Draco whispered into Harry's neck.

"I love you too, baby," Harry sighed in contentment.

They lay there for quite some time. Eventually they shifted so that they could look out the window.

The snow was still falling, but now it had slowed from a heavy snow to a light flurry. Harry sighed happily. He loved being here in the nice warm house and watching the pure white snow float past the window.

"Harry?" Draco asked finally, still watching the white flakes flutter past the window.

"Yeah?" Harry replied lazily.

"Do you ever think about using magic again?" Draco asked quietly. Harry paused, his eyes wandering to a dark, mahogany box that stood on the mantle of the fireplace, where their wands were stored, not for use, just as a reminder.

"No," Harry said. "I don't ever want to go back to that."

Draco nodded slowly and said nothing more. His eyes also wandered to the box sitting innocently on the shelf.

They were quiet after that, the only sounds in the room being the crackling of the fireplace. Eventually, Harry shifted and maneuvered his way off the couch.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked lazily, watching Harry stretch.

"Take a shower," Harry replied, looking down at his still naked body. Draco also got up visibly looked Harry up and down.

"Want some company?" he asked, his mouth curling into his trademark smirk.

"Well, I can't say no to that," Harry agreed. Draco grinned in a feral manner and led the way to their private bathroom.

They stepped into the blue and white tiled room and Harry turned on the water in the large shower stall. Once the water was nice and warm, Harry stepped inside, closely followed by Draco.

At first, they just stood under the warm water, letting it wash over them. Draco reached over and grabbed a louffa (sp?). He moved around behind Harry and began washing his back lightly.

Harry tilted his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations. Draco rubbed in a circular motion knowing Harry was enjoying it. Draco admired Harry's tanned muscles and his strong backside.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered in Harry's ear. Harry smiled to himself and turned around to face Draco.

He took his chin in his hand and gently tilted it upward to look in his sparkling silver eyes.

"You are absolutely gorgeous," he said, completely serious. Then he kissed Draco softly. He broke the kiss slowly and turned around.

Draco resumed his slow washing. He appeared to be thinking.

"You know," he said at length. "That the first thought I had when I met you."

"Really?" Harry asked interestedly.

"Well," Draco amended, "If you don't count, 'what is he wearing!'"

Harry laughed slightly at that. Draco continued washing, not saying anymore.

"I thought you were a stuck up prat," Harry said. Draco raised an eyebrow behind his back.

"Before I said anything?" he asked. Harry opened his mouth and then stopped.

"No, you're right. Actually, I hoped you would have been my friend."

"Too bad that didn't happen," Draco said quietly and Harry turned around again.

"I love you, Draco. The past is past. Besides, if we had been friends, none of this ever might have happened."

"I guess it was inevitable. After all, who doesn't love me?" Draco asked pompously and Harry let out a snort of laughter. Draco glared at him for half a second before giving in and rolling his eyes.

They finished their shower quickly and then got dressed. Harry pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and a green sweater, making his green eyes stand out amazingly.

Draco put on a pair of black slacks and a light blue turtleneck. He went out to the living room and turned on the T.V. Harry joined him shortly and they sat watching a few television programs for a while.

Harry soon began to fidget though. He moved around restlessly on the couch. Draco tried to ignore him, but it soon became nearly impossible.

"Harry," Draco said in a warning voice.

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "But I'm bored."

"Go do something then," Draco suggested.

"What though?"

"I don't know. Anything you want."

Harry paused, thinking. His eyes traveled around the room, searching for something to do. He sighed when nothing came into view. His eyes came to rest on the window. The snow had stopped, but miles of pure white snow lay on the hill beyond.

Harry turned to Draco, an excited glint in his eyes. Draco looked at him cautiously. He followed his gaze and his expression turned to shock.

"Oh no," he said, his eyes wide.

"Come on," Harry wheedled. "We could make snowmen!"

"Snowmen?" Draco repeated skeptically.

"Come on, baby. It'll be fun, I promise."

Harry pouted and gave Draco his best puppy dog eyes. Draco groaned, knowing that he would give in. He could never resist giving Harry anything he wanted.

"Fine," he said in defeat. Harry jumped up excitedly. He hugged Draco then ran off to put on more clothes.

Draco followed somewhat reluctantly. He put on a coat and scarf and gloves and boots. Harry threw on a coat and boots and practically raced out the door. Draco thought that he looked like a kid on Christmas.

Draco was much slower coming outside. He didn't like the cold. He preferred indoors where it was nice and warm. He walked slowly to the front door. He paused and braced himself for the cold. He opened the door and let out a sigh of relief.

The wind was no longer howling. The snow was falling lightly all around him. The trees were covered in white frost, tiny icicles dripping off the branches.

Harry was already in the front yard, rolling a ball of snow on the ground. Draco stayed on the front porch, where it was safe. Once Harry's ball was the size of a large boulder, Harry stopped rolling it. He stood up and wiped some sweat off his forehead. His cheeks were pink from the cold already. He looked up at Draco, who was leaning against one of the pillars on the porch.

"Come down here," he called. Draco made a face and didn't move. Harry went over to the porch and jumped up on it. He put a hand on the pillar and swung close to Draco.

"I promise it'll be worth your while," Harry whispered. Draco's eyebrows rose slightly at Harry's words. His eyes traveled over the pure white snow that was falling all around them.

"Fine," he said finally. Harry grinned at him. He kissed him quickly then bounded down the steps. Draco followed and watched as Harry started rolling another ball for the snowman.

When Harry had accumulated all the acquired pieces for the snowman, he put them together, one on top of the other. He handed Draco a stick to give it arms. Draco did so, though not very enthusiastically.

Harry stood back and admired his work. The snowman still had no eyes, no hat, no scarf, but it looked decent. Harry frowned looking at it. He turned to Draco, who was standing in the snow, looking bored.

"Draco," Harry said and Draco looked at him. "Will you find him eyes?"

"Eyes?" Draco repeated skeptically. Harry nodded happily and he sighed. He walked off toward the side of the house, looking for something to make eyes with.

He was bent over searching and didn't notice Harry creeping stealthily through the snow. Harry admired his ass for half a second before leaning down and scooping up a handful of snow. He packed it into a tight ball and took aim.

"Ow!" Draco exclaimed, jumping up and whirling around. Harry stood there with a maniacal grin on his face. He had hit Draco directly on his ass.

"You're gonna pay for that, Potter," he growled, using his last name playfully. Harry just grinned at him and scampered away.

Draco ran after him, jumping on him, causing them both to fall to the ground. He grabbed a handful of snow and pushed it into Harry's laughing face. He grabbed more snow and shoved it under Harry's jacket and under his shirt.

Harry squeaked in surprise as the cold wet snow touched his skin. He struggled under Draco and managed to flip him over. Draco jumped when he felt the freezing snow on his neck. Unfortunately, Harry had him pinned to the ground, so he was unable to move.

"Fuck, Harry. It's cold," Draco said, still trying to move. Harry grinned down at him, a mischievous glint in his emerald green eyes.

"We'll just have to warm you up then," he said. Draco immediately stopped struggling and gave Harry a knowing smirk.

Harry shifted and Draco felt his hardening member press into his own. Draco groaned at the delicious friction Harry was causing.

"You're insatiable, you know that?" he asked him. Harry only grinned and leaned down to kiss him softly.

"And you love it," he whispered, pulling away and laying down on top of Draco.

"Unfortunately," Draco sighed and then grinned. Harry kissed him again with more passion, but Draco pulled away.

"What?" Harry asked, worried.

"I'm cold," Draco whined. Harry laughed and moved to get off him. He offered Draco his hand and pulled him off. Draco wiped off his clothes of all the snow.

Harry turned around to go back inside but immediately stopped when he was hit in the back with something extremely cold. He whipped around and stared at Draco with his mouth open.

Draco just smirked, tossing a snowball up and down in his hand. He raised a challenging eyebrow at his boyfriend,

"Told you I'd get you," he drawled. Harry scoffed and bent down to scoop up some snow. When he straitened up, he was hit again, this time directly in the chest.

He took aim with his snowball and lobbed it at Draco. Draco jerked to the side and ran in the opposite direction. Harry followed, scooping up more snow as he went. Draco swerved behind a tree as another snowball went careening past his head.

He bent down and grabbed more snow. He stuck his head out from the tree just long enough to throw the snow at Harry. Harry ducked and it just missed his head.

"Come out, you coward!" Harry shouted, stopping within a few feet of the tree. He waited and was absolutely silent for a few moments.

Draco stood behind the tree, listening hard. He had nearly retorted when Harry had called him a coward but restrained himself. He knew it was trap. He'd been with Harry too long not to know it was a trap. He didn't move, knowing that Harry was just on the other side of the tree.

After five minutes, he stuck his head cautiously. He immediately found himself with a face full of snow and Harry laughing hilariously. He narrowed his eyes and took advantage by hitting Harry in the neck with a ball of snow.

"Cold!" Harry exclaimed and Draco smirked.

"Yes, dear. Snow is usually cold," Draco said simply. Harry rolled his eyes and grinned. He reached out and pulled Draco to him. He kissed him deeply, Draco responding to his every move.

"Can we go inside now?" Draco murmured against Harry's warm lips when they broke the kiss.

"But we didn't finish the snowman," Harry said, looking at the half-completed man.

"He'll still be there tomorrow," Draco said comfortingly. Harry hesitated for a second then nodded his head.

"Yeah, let's go in."

Together they walked back into the inviting living room. They both took of their boots and hung up their coats.

Draco flopped down on the couch while Harry added a few more logs to the dying fire. Harry joined him momentarily, throwing his arms around him and pulling him closer. Draco sighed in contentment, watching the flickering of the fire.

It had started to snow again lightly outside and Draco was very glad they were inside. He laid his head on Harry's shoulder and said nothing. It was times like these that he enjoyed with Harry. The pure serenity of it all used to be a rare occurrence, but since they had given up magic, they had many of these moments.

Draco's gaze strayed once again to the mahogany box sitting so innocently on the mantle piece. To anyone one else, the box would seem unremarkable. Draco watched it for several seconds before tearing his eyes away from it.

He shifted and looked up at Harry who was sitting peacefully, watching the fire in the grate.

"Harry," Draco said and Harry looked down at him.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I'm glad we live here," Draco said quietly. That was saying something, considering Draco had never seemed to like living so far away from everything he'd ever known.

Harry smiled warmly down at him and hugged him closer. He loved this house more than Draco would ever know, with its cabin-like qualities. It was an open floor plan and the kitchen could be seen from their position on the couch.

The floors were hardwood, made of pine wood . The large fireplace took up most of the wall on its side. There were doors leading off to the other bedrooms and stair that led upstairs to the loft. Harry loved the feeling the house gave. It had a very welcoming air and Harry liked it.

"I'm glad you're glad," Harry told him.

Night soon fell around them as they sat on the couch, watching the dying embers of the fire. The stars came into the sky, tiny dots of sparkling white amidst the clouds.

Finally, Harry began to grow tired. He stretched and got up from the couch. Draco blinked tiredly and followed his movements. Harry walked away and into the bedroom. Draco stayed in the living room for a second.

He looked around the room, his eyes lingering on the rugs on the floor, the lamps that gave the room a warm yellow glow. He moved over to the fireplace and pushed the logs around. He straitened up and came face to face with the mahogany box.

He frowned as he looked at it.

"Are you coming, baby?" Harry called softly from the bedroom.

Draco gave the box one fleeting last look before turning towards the bedroom.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

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A/N: Please review! And no flames, por favor :) 


	2. Like Snow on a Volcano

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Bright light filtered in through the window, a tiny patch of sunlight streaming through the window fell on Draco's face. He winced and rolled over to find the bed empty. He felt around for a second before realizing that Harry was gone. He sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned and stretched then rolled out of bed. 

He winced as his feet hit the cold wooden floor. He grabbed his bathrobe quickly and wrapped it around himself. He slipped on some slippers and plodded out into the living room.

There was already a fire in the grate, crackling happily. Draco yawned again and moved into the kitchen. Harry was there making coffee. He smiled when Draco came in. Draco sat down at the counter and watched as Harry slid a cup of steaming brown liquid over to him.

He seized it and poured a liberal amount of milk and sugar into it, turning it into a lighter brown color. Harry watched him as he did every morning, marveling at the amount of sugar that went in.

"Some day, you're going to die from a sugar overdose," Harry told him seriously. Draco took a deep drink from the liquid and sighed happily.

"That has yet to happen," Draco said, setting down his cup. He smiled cheekily at Harry and Harry laughed.

He moved around the counter to stand beside Draco. Draco swiveled in his chair and looked up at Harry. Harry slid his arms around his neck and rested his forehead against Draco's.

"Did you sleep well?" Harry asked. Draco nodded and tilted his head up for a kiss.

They kissed softly for several minutes until Harry pulled away. He kissed the side of Draco's mouth one last time then moved back around the counter. He pulled a piece of toast out of the toaster and placed it on a plate.

He buttered it and passed it on to Draco. He munched it quietly, enjoying the serenity of the morning. Harry made another for himself and they sat in contented silence.

Harry leaned against the counter, looking out the window. It was snowing again; the flakes flickered past the window lightly. Harry paused eating his toast momentarily, watching the snow.

He turned from the window suddenly and faced Draco. Draco looked up expectantly.

"We didn't finish our snowman," Harry said. Draco raised an eyebrow. He had been hoping Harry would forget about the snowman outside, in the freezing cold snow.

"Harry," Draco said, not really wanting to go. "I don't really want—"

"Please?" Harry wheedled, giving him his best pout. Draco groaned, knowing he would give in.

"But, Harry…"

"It's only one snowman," Harry said, still pleading with his eyes.

"It's so early," Draco whined.

"It's 11!" Harry exclaimed. Draco sighed but gave in just the same.

"Okay, but only one snowman," Draco said. Harry nodded excitedly. He rushed off to put on more clothes while Draco slowly drained the last of his coffee.

He set the cup down in the sink that was overflowing with dishes. He knew he would have to clean them soon, but he dreaded the task. He followed Harry's direction towards the bedroom.

When he got there, Harry was pulling on thick socks and boots. Draco changed his clothes, putting on a heavy coat and boots. Harry waited impatiently for him to finish. Then he pulled Draco outside to where the snowman still stood.

The snowman looked at him with no eyes and only one arm. Harry grabbed a stick nearby and stuck it in his other side. Now he had two arms. Harry looked around the ground nearby while Draco contented himself to watch.

Finally, after some digging in the snow, Harry came up with two shiny black rocks. He stuck them in the snowman's head and made eyes. He took a step back and surveyed his work. Something was missing, besides all the rest of the facial features.

Harry looked around, eyes scanning the ground. There was nothing on the ground besides snow. All their tracks from the previous day had been covered up by fresh powder. Draco watched his search, not helping in any way.

Finally, after five minutes of Harry searching, Draco was growing cold.

"What are you looking for?" he asked impatiently. Harry stopped and sighed impatiently.

"He needs something," he said seriously, inspecting the face of the snowman. Draco gave him a quizzical look.

"What kind of thing?" he asked, daring to move closer to the mound of snow.

"I don't know… something's missing."

"A face?" Draco drawled.

"No," Harry said. "Well, yeah. But that's not it."

Draco surveyed the snowman critically, but he couldn't come up with anything that it was missing besides the obvious nose and happy smile.

"I know!" Harry cried. He bent down and scooped up three more stones. He placed them strategically on the side of the snowman's face. Draco looked closer and his eyebrows went up.

"Harry," he said. "Is that snowman smirking?"

Harry turned to him with a grin on his face. Draco gave him a withering look, but it didn't deter Harry's grin.

"Now I always have something to remind me of you," Harry said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Until it melts," Draco said.

"But he'll always be with me," Harry said, pretend swooning. Draco laughed at his words and Harry grinned.

Harry moved over to Draco and hugged him to him. Draco sighed and leaned into him.

"I have to go into town today, baby," Harry said quietly.

"Why?" Draco asked, pulling back. "You were just there yesterday."

"I know," Harry sighed. "But I promised to help Mr. Shminn unload the new books."

"Harry, why do you promise these things? I thought you wanted a quiet life."

"I do, but I can't help helping people," Harry said. Draco sighed and moved back from him. Harry watched him sadly.

"Don't worry, baby. I want to be here with you," he said convincingly.

"I know," Draco said quietly. Harry moved back over to him and kissed him softly.

"I'll be back later, okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Draco said. Harry gave him a small smile and took off down the hill.

Draco watched him go, slightly disappointed. He didn't understand. When Harry had made the decision to disappear from the wizarding world, Draco had agreed somewhat reluctantly.

It had been difficult to give up everything he had ever known just like that. Harry hadn't allowed magic in any form. It had been two years since they had moved to house on the hill and no magic words had been uttered in that house so far.

At first, Draco had had real trouble adjusting. He didn't like doing things the Muggle way. It had grown on him, but it had taken awhile.

Harry's reasons for moving so far out in the country away from all things wizard had been that he sought solitude from the constant barrage of people; people wanting his attention, sending him mail, requesting his presence at many events. After Hedwig had died, he had not gotten another owl to replace her. He never sent any mail.

The only people who knew where he lived were Ron and Hermione. They kept that information to themselves and rarely visited. Draco had thought that moving here had been to be alone. Then why was he becoming involved in the Muggle village below?

Draco sighed and turned his gaze from the direction Harry had taken. He turned it instead to the house that stood behind him. The roof was covered in snow and a few large icicles hung over the porch. It was a two-story house that looked quite welcoming.

Draco wondered why Harry would want a welcoming looking house if he wanted people to stay away. He shrugged and walked up the steps to the front porch. He opened the front door and went into the warmly lit living room.

He rubbed some snow out of his hair and shivered. He quickly shut the door behind him and pulled off his coat and boots. He decided that he was too cold and went to take a shower.

He stripped off his cold, wet pants and stepped into the hot, streaming water. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the water. He reached over and grabbed the soap, cleansing himself.

When he was done, he shut off the water and stepped out. He grabbed a towel quickly and wrapped it around himself to block out the cold. He dressed rapidly in a green sweater and jeans.

He dried his hair, not wanting to catch cold. He walked out into the living room in just his socks and looked around. The fire was still going but was starting to die. Draco walked over to it and stoked the embers. It flared up momentarily then died back down. Draco shrugged and walked over to the thermostat. He turned it up to 70 degrees then went to the kitchen for something to eat.

He rummaged through the cupboards and pulled out a loaf of bread. Then he went to the kitchen and pulled out some jam. He made himself a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. When Harry had first taught him to make his own food, it had been a disaster. Jelly everywhere, sticky, purple jelly.

Harry had laughed at him in his hilarious state. Needless to say, Draco had not been very pleased. Since then, he had mastered the skill of a knife. He was fairly progressed in cooking.

While he was making his sandwich, he looked over at the overflowing sink. He groaned at the amount of dishes there were. They had no actual dishwasher for god knows what reason. Therefore, all the dishes had to be done by hand, and it took forever.

It was Draco's turn and he'd been putting it off for a few days. He dreaded having to do it. Harry had begun to nag him about the state of the sink for the past couple days. Draco kept saying he would do it then wouldn't.

Draco turned away from the mess and took his food into the living room. He propped up his feet on the coffee table and munched his sandwich quietly.

He flipped on the T.V. Since it was a Tuesday morning, little was on. He finally landed on some stupid muggle talk show. He wasn't really listening; he just had it on for the noise. He became restless just sitting there.

His eyes wandered back to the kitchen. That huge pile of dishes was just visible around the corner of a wooden post. He sighed, knowing he would have to do it soon. He wondered how long he could possibly put it off for before Harry forced him to do it.

_'It would be so much easier if I could just use magic,'_ Draco thought to himself.

He turned his gaze to the box sitting on the mantle. He contemplated it for a second.

_'Wait,'_ he thought. '_Harry's not home… I could use magic, and he'd never know.'_

Draco hesitated for a second. He knew Harry didn't want him to do any magic but it was so tempting. He'd gone without it for so long.

Draco looked around hastily as if he would see someone staring in the window at him. When he seemed sure that no one was watching his every move, he went slowly over to the mantle piece.

He stared at the dark mahogany box for several minutes. He reached for the top slowly but stopped just on the verge of opening it. He bit his lip, stuck in indecision.

Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out. He reached out and flipped the box open slowly. There lay two wands on dark red velvet. Draco's eyes lit up as he saw his wand for the first time in years.

His hand descended into the box and fingered the wand on the left carefully. He picked it up gently and grasped the handle. It felt odd, holding his wand after such a long time. It didn't feel a part of him as it had used to.

He shut the box quickly and moved away from it. He almost felt as if he was cheating or something. He went in to the kitchen and pointed his wand at the pile of dirty dishes.

"_Evanesco_," he said. Automatically, the grunge was gone from the plate and cups. Draco smiled slightly to himself, enjoying the feeling.

He pointed his wand once again at the now clean dishes. He muttered another spell and the dishes put themselves away into the cupboards lining the walls. Draco was satisfied with his work and returned to the living room.

He looked down at the floor and noticed that it seemed kind of dirty. He pointed his wand at it and cleaned it with another spell. He smiled again. Having his wand back was almost like finding a long lost friend.

Next, he cleaned their bedroom, moving all the clothes on the floor back to their original spots. He dusted the tables and shelves. He cleaned practically the entire house. When he finished, he moved back into the living room, admiring his wand fondly.

Then it hit him. He looked around himself at the sparkling house and his face fell. Harry would know. He'd know that Draco couldn't have done all this on his own and he would be furious.

Draco moved quickly back over to the mahogany box and carefully placed his wand back inside, like putting it in a casket. He pulled away, shutting the lid quietly. He moved back into the middle of the living room.

What was he going to do? It was too late now. Draco decided he would just have to wait and face the consequences. Besides, it was only a tiny bit of magic, nothing life threatening.

i 'Right,' /i Draco thought to himself. i 'It's okay, a little bit of magic never hurt anybody.' /i

He sighed and sat back down on the couch, turning the T.V. back on. He fidgeted for a while then told himself to calm down. Everything would be fine.

He distracted himself for the next hour by going into the kitchen and making a cake. He knew Harry's favorite cake was vanilla with strawberries on top, so he set about making one. It took a while for him to figure out the frosting tubes, but eventually, he managed to make it look semi-decent.

He stood back to admire his work and nearly jumped when the front door slammed shut. He quickly told himself to get a grip. He breathed deeply then swaggered out to meet Harry.

Harry was taking of his snow covered jacket and boots. He pushed them off by the door and pulled off his wet socks as well. Draco walked over to him quickly and Harry smiled at him.

He slid his arms around Harry's shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. When they parted, Harry smiled warmly at him.

"Hey, baby," he said. Draco forced himself to smile back. "I'm gonna get changed, kay?"

"Yeah," Draco agreed. Harry gave him another quick kiss before disappearing into the bedroom. Draco breathed a momentary sigh of relief. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Harry figured it out. Draco never cleaned, or hardly ever. It was always a rare occurrence when he did.

He sat down on the couch, waiting for Harry. He heard him come out from the bedroom and sit down beside him, sighing in a relaxed way. Draco looked over at him and Harry grinned at him. Harry crawled down the couch and on top of Draco.

"How was your day?" Harry whispered, looking down at Draco.

"It was good," Draco replied quietly. Harry grinned and leaned in to kiss him.

Draco's arms came up to wrap around Harry's upper body. Harry slid his tongue into Draco's willing mouth, tasting him. Draco moaned slightly as Harry nibbled his bottom lip. He slid a hand under Harry's tee shirt.

Harry groaned and shifted into a more comfortable position. Draco gasped when he felt Harry's erection pressing into his own. The kiss became fevered and more passionate.

When Harry finally pulled away, they were both panting. Draco arched his body upwards and Harry smirked at him. Draco moved upward and licked Harry's neck. Harry threw his head back and groaned. Draco nipped at it, leaving a little red mark.

Harry looked down at him and smiled. He moved to kiss him again. The kiss was rushed, tongues intertwined and clashed. Hot breath intermingled between the two. Draco's hand slid into Harry's dark hair, messing it up more.

Harry groaned as Draco pulled lightly on his hair. He nibbled Draco's lower lip, drawing a groan from the blond. Harry ground his body into Draco's, enjoying the sounds he emitted. Draco arched back up, following Harry's body.

He whimpered when Harry broke the kiss. Harry smiled down at him and kissed him softly. He pulled away and settled down on top of Draco. Draco ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly.

"How was the unloading?" Draco asked, semi-sarcastically. Harry sighed and looked up at him from his position on his chest.

"It was okay, cold though," he replied. Draco nodded, not really listening.

Outside, snow was still falling. The soft powder was piling up outside the window, making it hard to see out. It was early afternoon and the sun peeked through a tiny spot in the grey clouds. Draco sighed as he watched the tiny flakes of snow flutter past.

Harry looked over to the fire and noticed it had gone out. He pushed himself off Draco and stood up.

"I'll be right back," he said. He walked over to the door and slipped his boots back on then pulled on his coat. He left through the front door. Draco saw him walk around the outside of the house. He came back in a few minutes later with an armful of wood.

He slipped off his shoes and dumped the wood by the fire. Draco was still sitting on the couch, watching as he went. Harry bent over the fireplace, trying to enliven the fire. He added a few logs and watched as it grew.

He sighed, satisfied, and moved back to the couch with Draco. He put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. Draco didn't say anything to him, just leant against him, thinking.

His eyes wandered once again to the little box sitting oh-so-innocently above the crackling fireplace. He wondered how Harry would react, what he would do. It hadn't been that much magic…

Harry shifted on the couch. His eyes traveled around the room. As they went they took in the spotlessness of the room. His expression became more quizzical as he went, taking in the floors, the counters, the shelves, the kitchen. Finally, he turned to Draco, his eyebrows bunched together.

"Draco," he said slowly. "What happened here?"

Draco hesitated before responding, trying to find the best way to go about this.

"What do you mean?" he responded lightly. Harry looked around again, his expression becoming more and more suspicious as he went.

"What did you do?" he asked suspiciously, turning to Draco, his eyes blazing. Draco's eyes widened and he stood up quickly from the couch. Harry followed his movements and gave him a hard look.

"Nothing," Draco said quickly.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Harry said dangerously.

Draco didn't respond but looked down at his feet. Harry's eyes narrowed as he watched him.

"You used magic!" he exclaimed. Draco winced at the tone of his voice but looked up at him, seemingly prepared.

"So what if I did?" Draco said challengingly. He had never been afraid of Harry and he wasn't about to start now.

"Draco," Harry said in a low and dangerous voice. "Why?"

"Why?" Draco repeated incredulously. How could he not know why! "Why do you think!"

"I really don't know," Harry said angrily. "You know I don't like to use it!"

"It was only one time!" Draco exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Harry glared at Draco and moved in closer. Draco watched him carefully as he moved forward.

"When you agreed to move out here with me, you agreed to give up magic," Harry whispered dangerously.

"Yes, but don't you think it was hard for me!" Draco exclaimed. Harry didn't say anything, just stood looking at him.

Draco gave him a pleading look, begging for understanding. Harry just scowled at him.

"Did you think it was easy for me to just give up everything I had ever known!"

"No, but you didn't have to! I didn't force you to come here with me! You came on your own volition, Draco. I didn't i force /i you to do anything!"

"You're right, you didn't," Draco said angrily, firing up. "But it's not like I've been given any kind of leeway!"

"You knew this was how it would be when you said yes!" Harry yelled, his temper rising. "I thought you were prepared to do this for me, Draco!"

"I was. I am! But you can't expect me not to slip up once in a while! We're not i all /i perfect, Harry."

Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise and shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What did you say?" he asked, barely controlling his temper. He had begun to shake from all the suppressed rage. Draco crossed his arms and raised his nose in the air, adopting his childhood persona.

"You heard me," he replied. Harry's eyes flashed dangerously as he glared at Draco, breathing hard.

"I can't believe you would even dare to say such a thing," he growled at him. "You know everything I went through. You, of all people, should know what it was like, being controlled by the people you thought loved you. You can't possibly think that I wanted to i be /i perfect, that I wanted to become the savior of the wizarding world. Don't you dare call me perfect ever again."

Draco listened to Harry, but refused to give in. He stood there with his arms crossed, still glaring at Harry.

"So you're not perfect," he hissed. "Then you understand how I feel."

"How you feel!" Harry yelled. "What about how I feel? One thing, Draco! One thing, that's all I asked you to do for me when we got together. And you can't even do that!"

Draco's mouth dropped and he glared at Harry.

"I have done plenty for you, Harry. I gave up everything I had ever known for you."

"Well, it doesn't seem to have mattered, does it?" Harry asked acidly.

"Maybe it doesn't matter!" Draco exclaimed, glaring at Harry. He moved around the couch and Harry watched him go through his narrowed green eyes. Harry turned as Draco moved, glaring at him.

"It matters, Draco!" Harry yelled.

"Right," Draco said sarcastically. "It matters."

Harry glared at Draco, his eyes shooting fire. Draco refused to give in and didn't say anything more.

"Fine, Draco," Harry growled. "Fine. I guess it doesn't matter to you what I think. Of all the things I've ever asked you to do, this was the only thing that ever really mattered."

That pushed Draco out of his silence.

"Of course you matter! But it can be hard sometimes."

"Sometimes!" Harry repeated. "Do you think it's easy for me?"

"It seems like it. It's not like you ever act like anything is ever wrong! How am I supposed to know?"

Harry tried to say something several times, but appeared unable to form a complete sentence. Finally, he steeled himself and stood up straighter.

"I'm going for a walk," he said coldly. He walked out from in front of the couch and to the door. He pulled on his jacket angrily, stuffing his arms into the sleeves.

He gave Draco one last hard look before he stormed out the door, slamming it shut in his wake.

* * *

A/N: Please review! 


	3. View from Heaven

A/N: I've been forgetting to mention, this was beta-d by my one of my wonderful beta's, Cyn!

* * *

Harry stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him with as much force as he could muster. He gave a satisfied nod as about a foot of snow fell of the roof and landed on the porch in a heap. 

He stomped off the porch and through the garden, his feet leaving angry, deep boot prints in the fresh, crunchy snow. The snow had begun to fall faster and swirled around his form as he walked angrily down the hill in front of the house.

He had no desire to go back. How could Draco have been so stupid and insensitive! It was the one thing he had asked him to do when he had agreed to come with him. How hard was it to obey his wishes!

Harry growled to himself as these thoughts passed through his head. He stomped down the sloping hill, nearly slipping once on the snow that had frozen to become ice. He caught himself though and trudged on.

He needed to clear his head before he could even i think /i of going back home to face Draco. He needed to collect his thoughts.

Harry stopped at the bottom of the hill and looked around. He saw the main road to the village and decided to cross it. Once he was on the other side, he looked at his surrounding. The snow swirled faster and thicker, obscuring the outline of the trees around him. He tugged his jacket tighter around him, wishing he had brought more with him.

Then again, he hadn't really been thinking clearly when he had left. Harry sighed and rubbed his hands together. He gave up and stuck them deep into the pockets of the jacket.

By now, the snow was coming down in a blanket. It covered the entire ground around him. Harry ran a hand through his hair, brushing the ice crystals out of his hair. He shivered at their temperature and pulled up his hood. Harry looked around at his snow covered surroundings and sighed.

_'Why doesn't Draco understand?' /i he thought ruefully. i 'I know it was hard, but he could have at least tried.'_

'He did try,' Harry's inner voice spoke up.

_'Shut up,_' Harry growled to himself.

'Just because you're too stubborn to admit that he has a good reason, doesn't mean you should take it out on me,' his inner voice told him, sounding annoyed.

Harry scowled at these thoughts and glared at the ground. He kicked the snow angrily and it fluffed up around him. It was coming down hard now. Harry could barely see three feet in front of him.

He thought that maybe now he ought to go back, if for no other reason than to get out of the snow. He turned around to the direction he knew the road was. He pushed through the fierce wind and snow and climbed onto the road.

He looked both ways but could see little through all the swirling snow. He started to cross slowly, battling the howling wind and stinging snow. He hugged his jacket closer to him, trying to block out the cold.

He was about halfway across the road when he heard a sudden noise over the storm. He looked up and saw a pair of lights coming towards him, dimmed by the snow. He eyes widened in fear as they approached, faster and faster.

He tried to move, but his legs were stuck. There was nothing he could do as the vehicle came careening towards him, swerving on the icy road. Harry's face was frozen in fear as the car turned towards him, only feet away.

Harry opened his mouth to scream, but it never came. All went black.

OoOoOoO

Draco sat on the couch and huffed loudly. He was still upset about the fight. How could Harry have blamed him for everything! It wasn't entirely his fault.

Could he really have expected Draco to be able to drop magic, just like that? Granted, he had done pretty well over the past few years, but sometimes, the temptation had just been too great.

Draco looked now at the mahogany box on the mantle piece, just sitting there. He scowled at its presence and looked away. He hated the box for tempting him. He disliked Harry for becoming as angry as he had been for something so small. He hated himself for succumbing to the temptation.

His gaze wandered to the window where the snow had begun to increase. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched it whip past the window. He forced himself to look away. Harry had only been gone a few minutes after all.

_'It's his own fault anyway,'_ Draco thought maliciously. '_He should know better than to go outside in weather like this.'_

Draco turned away from the window, ignoring the growing amount and ferocity of the snow. He stared instead at the fire that was dying once more in the grate. Draco sighed and got up to prod it. That didn't help and the fire sputtered and died.

Draco rolled his eyes in annoyance and left it alone. He sat down on the couch moodily. He crossed his arms and legs and glared at the floor. He was still angry at Harry for what he had said.

_'I can't believe he would think that he doesn't matter! Of course he matters! I wouldn't have done this for anybody else! He's just too stubborn to admit that I'm right._

_'Living without magic is not easy for someone who's never done it! I didn't even take Muggle Studies in school. How the hell am I supposed to know how all this works? He thinks it's easy because he's done it before. Well, it's not easy!'_

Draco's expression darkened with each thought. He was furious that Harry would just expect him to know how this all works and be perfect at it.

Draco would never admit it to anyone, except maybe Harry, that he wasn't perfect. He had been raised to think that he had to be perfect, to uphold the family name, to act like a Malfoy. Harry had been the first person to tell him to cut it out and be himself.

Draco looked up at the window and frowned. The snow was blowing furiously past the window now. The white flakes whipped around convulsively as Draco watched. He could hear the howling of the wind coming down the chimney and he shivered.

His expression turned to one of worry. Harry was out there somewhere. Draco looked once again out the window, thinking hard. He'd be able to take care of himself. He was Harry Potter after all!

Those thoughts didn't give Draco much comfort. As he sat in the nice cozy living room, Harry was out in the bitter cold somewhere, probably freezing to death.

Draco sat on the couch for a little while longer. After a few moments, the snow calmed back to a light flurry. Draco was still uneasy. He didn't like the look of that momentary storm. He was worried about Harry, despite his current feelings of anger.

He walked over to the front door and pulled on his boots and a jacket. He wrapped a scarf around his neck and opened the door. He automatically shivered as the coldness hit him. He pulled the scarf tighter and set out into the elements.

He didn't know which way Harry had gone, as the snow had covered any tracks that may have been remaining from Harry's earlier departure.

He looked first to the forest, but decided that that was unlikely. He turned instead to look towards the village below. He knew Harry liked to wander along the road sometimes, so he set out in that direction.

He peered through the lightly falling snow for any sign of Harry. He reached the bottom of the hill where it met the road and looked around. A dark shape was lying in the middle of the road. Draco squinted and moved closer.

He caught site of messy black hair protruding from a puffy jacket. He let out a distressed cry and rushed over. He knelt down by the body, not touching for fear of confirming his suspicions.

"Harry," he whispered, staring in shocked disbelief.

"Draco?" came a tiny voice. It was labored and cracked. Draco's eyes widened and he moved around to Harry's head.

Harry looked up at him from his position on the ground. He looked as though he was curled into a ball. He moved his hand slightly that was holding onto his stomach and Draco saw red blood.

"Harry," Draco whispered, tears beginning to form. "Oh my god. We have to get you somewhere!"

"I can't," Harry whispered, putting his hand back. Draco watched him in shock.

"You have to!" he exclaimed, moving to touch Harry.

"No," Harry said suddenly and Draco stopped, hand outstretched. "No, I can't."

"Yes, you can!" Draco yelled, tears starting to leak down his face. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry looked at him forlornly. "We can—St. Mungo's, they can fix you!"

"Draco," Harry said quietly, his breathing becoming harsher. "I'm sorry."

"No!" Draco yelled desperately and Harry shut his eyes. "Harry!"

Harry opened his eyes again and stared at him sadly, the emerald green orbs shining with unshed tears.

"Draco, I love you," Harry said, his breathing coming in short gasps.

"Don't!" Draco yelled, hugging Harry. The tears were now streaming down his face. "Harry, I need you. I can't do this without you."

Harry shook his head, though it pained him to do so. He held his wound tighter with his hand and struggled to control his breathing.

"Draco, I--" But he stopped, cringing and gripping his stomach. Draco panicked, not knowing what to do or how to fix it. He took his hands off of Harry, afraid of hurting him.

"It's going to be okay," Draco said in a quiet, panicked voice. "We just have to get you to a hospital!"

He stood up and looked around as though he might see an ambulance coming up the street. Harry reached out slowly and grabbed Draco's pant leg. Draco immediately dropped back to his hands and knees, watching Harry fearfully.

Harry lifted and hand to Draco's face and wiped away a falling tear. Draco sniffed and stared at him.

"Draco," he started then stopped with a grimace, clutching his stomach. He tried to take a deep breath, but it only seemed to make the pain worse. He was shivering uncontrollably now, not due to the cold. Draco could only watch in despair as Harry tried to control his body.

"Draco," he finally continued, whispering. He looked up into Draco's tear filled eyes and trying to hold back his own. "I'm not going to make it."

"No," Draco whispered, He leaned forward and buried his face in Harry's neck to block out the tears, but they came just the same. "You can't die!" he cried, clutching at Harry.

Harry coughed slightly and Draco pulled back to look at him. The color was draining from his face and the hand held to his wound was quickly becoming drenched in warm, scarlet blood.

"Draco, I don't want--" Harry started, but Draco stopped him.

"No, don't talk. You can still make it! We have to—we can—Harry, don't!" Draco yelled, panicking. He looked around desperately, hoping to see someone coming through the snow to help.

"Draco," Harry said quietly, his eyes starting to drift closed. Draco looked back to him and his eyes widened in horror.

"No! Harry, don't! Please, I need you." The last part was whispered as Draco laid himself down on top of Harry.

"I—I love you," came faltering words from the body underneath him. Draco threw himself sobbing onto Harry.

"No!" he wailed, grasping onto the body for dear life. Harry swallowed with difficulty and closed his eyes for the last time.

"No," Draco moaned as tears fell down his face, staining the snow. He hugged Harry to him and rocked back and forth.

"Oh god," he whispered. "What did I do? Harry, come back. Please, I love you."

No response came save for the howling wind whipping around the pair that lay in the middle of the road.

Draco gathered Harry's lifeless body in his arms and wept. He sat there for a long time, crying over the loss of everything he had ever loved.

The sky grew dark and Draco looked up. The snow had stopped finally and tiny pinpricks of starlight had emerged through the lessening clouds. He knew it was over. He picked himself up and moved Harry's body over to the side of the road.

He laid it against the base of a tree, placing a circle of holly leaves around it. He leant forward and kissed Harry's forehead. He stood up straight, choking back sobs. Then he turned his back and walked back to the house.

He toiled up the snowy hill, barely controlling his body as well as his emotions. When he reached the top of the hill and the house came into view, he stopped. There, in the glow of the porch lights, was the snowman they had finished just that morning.

It was smirking at Draco, just as Harry had left it. Draco felt his temped rising. He marched over to the snowman and glared at it.

"Look what you did!" he shouted, gesturing at the snowman. "You used magic, and now he's dead! This is all your fault!"

He faltered there as more tears welled up in his eyes.

"You could have listened to him! It was one thing! ONE THING! The only thing he ever asked you to do, and you couldn't do it!"

The snowman stood motionless, smirking at Draco. Draco glared at it in hatred.

"You did this," he growled. "You killed him! And now he'll never come back! It's all your fault, all your fault."

Draco stopped, choking on his own tears. The snowman did nothing.

"I hate you," Draco whispered. "I hate you. You couldn't do one thing for the only man you ever loved. What is wrong with you?"

The snowman continued to smirk at Draco and he became enraged.

"I hate you!" he screamed, his voice carrying throughout the wilderness. "You've killed him! You've killed him and he's never coming back! He'll never ever come back!"

The snowman just stood in the middle of the yard under the yellow glow of the porch light. Draco wiped away a tear and strode purposefully towards the snowman. He picked up a board that was lying near its feet and swung.

The head exploded in one fell swoop. The board made contact and the snow shattered. Draco stood in the yard, gripping the board tightly and his breathing ragged. He dropped it instantly and turned jerkily towards the house.

He went in and walked over to the couch. He didn't bother to take off any of his clothes, not even his blood stained jacket. He sat as though in a trance staring at the dancing flames.

His heavily lidded eyes, red from crying, lifted slowly and came to rest on the mahogany box. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the box that had ruined everything.

"You," he whispered, glaring at the box with all the hatred in the world. "You did this. If it wasn't for you, he would still be alive!"

The box did not reply. It sat on the shelf, saying nothing, doing nothing, hearing nothing.

Draco stood up and walked over to it, breathing heavily.

"You are the reason. You did this. You! You've ruined everything!" Draco put his head in his hands as new tears welled up in his eyes.

"You," he whispered in between sobs. "I—it was m-my fault. I did this. I killed him."

He sank back down onto the couch, still covering his face as tears rolled down his cheeks. He sniffed and wiped his face with a shaky hand.

"I-I can't believe I killed him," he whispered in despair. "I did this. It was i my /i fault. He loved me and trusted me, and I killed him. I shouldn't have done it!"

Draco lay himself down sideways on the couch, sniffling into his sleeve and wiping away his tears as they came.

"One thing," Draco whispered. "And I couldn't even do that. I didn't deserve him."

He lay on the couch for some time. He closed his eyes as more tears were shed and buried his face in his arm, muffling the sobs. His shaking body was racked with emotions.

'_I've killed him,_' he thought in despair, bringing forth more tears. '_It was my fault_.'

He curled himself into a ball as more tears surfaced. His body shook from all the output. His breathing was erratic and labored as he cried for many hours.

Finally, he removed his face from his arm. His shirt was drenched in tears but Draco didn't care. He lifted his gaze up the mantle piece, back up to where the box sat, so innocently. He stared at it for a long time through his tear stained eyes.

He took a deep, shaky breath and stood up slowly from the couch. His legs were wobbly as he walked over to the fireplace. He put a hand on the mantle and stared at the box.

Slowly, very slowly, he reached out a shaky hand and removed the lid of the box. Inside sat the same two wands that had occupied it for the past two years. On the red velvet, they stood gleaming as though new.

Draco reached inside and, with a trembling hand, removed his own from the box. He turned it around in his fingers, looking at it as though he had never seen it before.

With his other hand, he traced the length of the wand with his finger, his red, watery eyes following it's every move. When the finger reached the base, he seemed to make a decision.

He grasped the wand tightly and moved away from the fireplace. His breathing was hard and quickened. He swallowed hard and stared at the wand.

He turned it upon himself and shut his eyes. He stood in the middle of the room, eyes shut tightly.

In a flash of green, his body fell to the ground in the silence of the house, pure white snow pressing in on all sides, falling lightly to the ground outside the dark window, obscuring all.

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_A/N: -please don't kill me!- but please do review! And by the way, it's complete ;)_


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